Jerry Richardson leaves behind a painfully ironic legacy

Jerry Richardson leaves behind a painfully ironic legacy

This wasn’t how the story was supposed to end for Jerry Richardson – at least in his own mind.

Richardson’s tale as the patriarch of the Carolina Panthers can be traced back his early roots, which began in the small town of Spring Hope, N.C. in 1936. He was Carolina born and bred, having attended high school in nearby Fayetteville and moving on to play football a little further south at Wofford College soon after.

The 6-foot-3 flanker/halfback, who stills holds his university’s records for most receiving yards in a game (242) as well as most receiving touchdowns in a season (nine) and a career (21), would then be selected by the Baltimore Colts in the 13th round of the 1958 NFL Draft.

His pro career didn’t last too long, but Richardson’s two-year stint netted him an NFL Championship in 1959, along with the bonus money from that title which helped launch his next endeavor — a part-owner of a Hardee’s franchise in Spartanburg, S.C.

Along with partner and college teammate Charles Bradshaw, Richardson opened the restaurant in 1961 and went on to form Spartan Investment Co., which changed to Spartan Food Systems upon going public eight years later. Although remaining atop the company, the duo sold Spartan Food Systems to World Trans Corp. for $80 million in 1979.

Richardson then put the proverbial wheels in motion on birthing an NFL franchise in 1987, connecting with NationsBank (later known as Bank of America) chairman Hugh McColl. Six years of work later, the Panthers were officially (and unanimously) selected as the league’s first expansion team in almost three decades — making Richardson the first former NFL player to become an NFL owner since George Halas.

The Panthers kicked off for the first time in 1995 as the NFL’s 29th franchise. Since then, the organization — as far as on-field performance — can be considered somewhat successful. Despite never having strung together consecutive winning seasons up to what is now their 24th year of existence, their two Super Bowl visits and eight playoff appearances trump the accomplishments of quite a few other teams during that span.

Even though the Lombardi Trophy has yet to call Charlotte home, Richardson carved out a comfortable place for a passionate fan-base in both Carolinas. The man they eventually dubbed “Big Cat,” a hometown kid who created an empire from humble beginnings, had made it.

Small signs of the increasingly mysterious man ruling more and more from the shadows occasionally surfaced.

During the lockout in 2011, Richardson was described as “hostile” and “condescending” towards players in labor negotiations.

In an article by Michael Silver following the discussions, a few who were present at the meetings recalled the Panthers owner being particularly harsh to quarterbacks Peyton Manning and Drew Brees in an attempt to tip the profit scales even more in favor of the league’s owners.

He was condescending to Peyton. . . He tried to talk about P&L [profit and loss] statements and all these other risks that the owners assume, as if Peyton didn’t know anything. Drew interrupted and said, ‘All we’re doing is just asking you to show us your books. We want to negotiate in good faith.’

He also was reported to have “snapped” at former player Sean Morey after the retired wide receiver cited health concerns in relation to average career length for players.

You guys made so much [expletive] money – if you played three years in the NFL, you should own your own [expletive] team.

According to Silver, Richardson’s actions caused tension from the start of the talks and forced several owners to apologize to players on his behalf.

This past season, specifically during Week 3 at the very height of the much-publicized protests during the national anthem, Richardson once again displayed an inability to empathize with players.

Shortly after a more troublesome revelation would begin to surface, as a Dec. 17 exposé from Sports Illustrated detailed Richardson’s alleged workplace misconduct. At least four employees received “significant” monetary settlements to remain silent about inappropriate actions from Richardson, including sexually suggestive behavior and racial insensitivity.

The victim provided suggestive handwritten notes from Richardson and recalled a collection of startling, sexually-charged requests. Staying true to his history, Richardson has yet to address the allegations.

So, as the Panthers change hands to David Tepper, how will Richardson be remembered?

Surely, he’ll still be respected by some, whether that be a fellow NFL shot-caller or a coach or player whose life was changed for the better because of an opportunity he gave them. He’ll also certainly be held in low regard, which is deserving given what we have learned over the past handful of months.

Whatever his fingerprint is, it won’t be what he wanted it to be.

Richardson spent decades carefully crafting his image, but his behind-the-scenes behavior has cost Richardson more than just his football team. He lost the ability to control his own legacy.